Excerpt: "A six-day hunt for a former policeman suspected of a killing spree in California ended on Wednesday when a cabin in the mountains above LA went up in flames."

In this image taken from video provided by KABC-TV, the cabin where ex-police officer Christopher Dorner is believed to be barricaded inside is in flames. (photo: KABC-TV/AP)

Audio Suggests Police Started Fire That Killed Dorner

By Guardian UK

13 February 10

six-day hunt for a former policeman suspected of a killing spree in California ended on Wednesday when a cabin in the mountains above LA went up in flames.

A body suspected to be that of Christopher Dorner was found in the ruins of the building. Dorner is suspected to have killed four people in a vendetta against LA police officers and their families; the fourth was an officer from San Bernardino County sheriff's department killed in a shootout at the cabin on Tuesday night.

Dorner had threatened to bring "warfare" to the LAPD, having claimed he had been the subject of racism when he was sacked from his job as a policeman there. Rory Carroll has the full story.

It is not yet clear how the fire at the cabin was started, but some evidence seems to suggest it may have been as a consequence of the tear gas fired by police.

A recording purporting to be of the conversation on police scanners as officers surrounded the cabin where Dorner was hiding seems to show police discussing "going forward with the plan, with, er, with the burn" or "burner".

The term "burner" had led to speculation that the fire had been started deliberately, but burner is thought to be police slang for tear gas, and may refer to "BurnSafe" containers for CS gas canisters, made by the Covina-Thomas Company in Covina, California. On its website the company lists among its recent customers the LAPD, although not the San Bernardo County sheriff's office, which led the raid.

Following the fire that killed 76 Branch Davidian cult members during the Waco siege in Texas there was a long period of controversy over whether the blaze had been started by military tear gas cartridges.

The Guardian cannot confirm that the audio track is a genuine recording of the police scanner.

Guys, be ready on the No 4 side. We have fire in the front. He might come out the back.

At around 2min 50sec, a male voice requests a fire engine.

There is then a report of a shot fired from within the residence, followed by a sharp noise of some kind.

This video, which purports to be a recording of KCAL TV coverage of the raid on the cabin, seems to include the sound of police shouting: "We're going to burn him out," and "Burn this motherfucker!"

Journalist Max Blumenthal claims to have been listening to the police scanners through an iPhone app at the time and has put together a timeline of events. The key tweets match the YouTube video purporting to be the police scanner:

According to the Associated Press, writing from Big Bear Lake, California, where the incident took place, the police attacked the cabin like so:

A SWAT team surrounded the cabin and used an armoured vehicle to break out the cabin windows, said a law enforcement official who requested anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The officers then pumped a gas into the cabin and blasted a message over a loudspeaker: "Surrender or come out."

The armoured vehicle then tore down each of the cabin's four walls.

A single shot was heard inside before the cabin was engulfed in flames, the law enforcement official told the Associated Press.

Just before 5pm, authorities smashed the cabin's windows, pumped in tear gas and called for the suspect to surrender. They got no response. Then, using a demolition vehicle, they tore down the cabin's walls one by one. When they reached the last wall, they heard a gunshot. Then the cabin burst into flames.

A spokesman for the San Bernardino County sheriff's office refused to answer any media questions about the fire or Dorner's death until the press conference the police force is holding on Wednesday at 4pm LA time (midnight GMT).

Note: This article was redrafted at 5.30pm GMT on 13 February 2013 due to new information about the possible meaning of the word "burner" coming to light.

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Just over four minutes into the recording, someone asks the fire department to stand off 200 yards as "we've got live ammo popping". This is less than four minutes after fire was first reported. It takes a lot of heat to cause ammunition to explode. So just how did a fire we are asked to believe was "accidentally" started by tear gas canisters became that intense, that quickly. Something is not right here.

I believe Christopher Dorner was torched by a lynch mob with badges and armored vehicles. I hope he will be avenged.

That sounded like some real police audio, but probably not real time as heard here (longer pauses deleted). At least audio was available.

You should all know, however, that any audio broadcast of the police radio system is no longer available in Grants Pass, Oregon, as of about mid-November, 2012, and quite probably in other areas as well. If this stands in Grants Pass, keep your eye on the coming attractions in your own town. It goes under the name "secret police".

Spengler handwritten manifesto to get even with the world purposely got Dawn Arrested. If a killler wants to die it is the last thing we should let them do. The Norwegians are smart they don’t give madmen what they want, The fact that cop killer Dorner asked for gun control is a good reason not to push any such law for more than a year or two,http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/02/08/alleged-cop-killer-pens-manifesto-applauding-obama-gun-control-efforts-n150793

Dorner: live by the gun, die by the gun. Sorry, can't work up much sympathy for a killer, both cop and civilian.

This post seems to contradict your previous post where you express sympathy for multiple killers like Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger. Is that because Dorner was a multiple killer who didn't become a cult hero ?

The Barrows and Dillinger were "dispatched" the way they were because no family man cop drawing a regular paycheck thought it wise to challenge them to a "duel" at high noon.

Neither were The Barrows or Dillinger any kind of "heroes", gunning down unarmed civilians with Thompson Submachine guns. In the Thirties, cops were not armed like these villains. As you note, "cops" GOT armed like that once the Barrows, Dillinger et al. had so considerably "raised the ante".

Armchair "generals" aside, War is War, and War is all about efficient slaughter. It is not a "contest of honor" conducted under the Marquis of Queensbury Rules regarding what's "Fair".

The Barrows, Barkers, Dillinger, Floyd, et. al. had gone for Rules of War by their own actions. The lesson there, is don't *start* a fight you can't possibly finish.

Since they were gangsters and not geniuses, it never occurred to them that they would *ever* be facing down more than the local cops with service .38's and a shotgun or two,

First post was sarcasm, second was valid comment. I have a way of weaving sarcasm into my posts. But anyway, I am not the least bit sympathetic or romantic for Dillinger and the Barrow Gang. They were cold blooded killers. I am also not romantic about Jessie James, the Younger brothers, the Daltons, Billy The Kid, John Wesley Hardin, Johnny Ringo, Doc Holiday and others from the Old West. However, I must admit I've always thought Fay Dunaway was hot in "Bonnie and Clyde!"

Defendants whose testimony would be embarrassing in court get killed rendering their points moot--the victors write the history. Osama bin Laden and David Koresh were other rush to judgment offerings to the gods of a trial so speedy you missed it. Bradley Manning is so far an exception to that rule. His 1000 days of incarceration without trial didn't lead to suicide or police assisted suicide. On Feb. 23rd it will be 100 days to sentencing. Expose the horrors of war at one's peril.

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